The Da Vinci Code based on novel by Dan Brown

1)  Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian, though he is on a 'constant spiritual journey' himself, and says that his book The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."

This novel is not Anti-Christian. Though this whole book is based on idea of Christianity and showing some imaginative truths about Christianity. Dane Brown is not saying that this is truth or related with history. This book The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith." When the novel begins he is depicted as the non-believer of priory of Sion. This is the committee who are selected to protect the blood-line of Jesus Christ. Though he was studying all these symbols but he was non-believer of this and at the end he turns into a member of Priory of Sion. We can say that Robert Langdon's journey as a pilgrimage. The search for the Spiritual Truth. Brown is just using the historical fact with his imagined story.

2) What harm has been done to humanity by the biblical narration or that of Milton’s in The Paradise Lose? What sort of damage does narrative like ‘The Vinci Code’ do to humanity?

when we study Genesis and Paradise lost By Milton we thinks some time that  yes whatever Milton write and present in his book is true because in our Hindu religion  we also heard like this world is created by God and all these things like he creates all these things for six day and at 7th day he get rest and this day is known as Sunday etc. so it can be convincing at some extent but when we saw this movie or read this book we cant accept that Christ was married and about Marry...etc.. So, in Milton’s  “The Paradise Lost” is faithful to the Bible, but it harms humanity. We can raise many questions that why Milton presents the woman as downfall of a man? Why he shows Eve as unintelligent why not Adam? So its harmful to humanity. We cannot say that Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” is not faithful to Christianity. He shows a woman character more powerful than the male character. Both narrations of Milton and Dan Brown are controversial. 

3) When we do traditional reading of the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’, Robert Langdon, Professor of Religious Symbology, Harvard University emerges as protagonist and Sir Leigh Teabing, a British Historian as antagonist. Who will claim the position of protagonist if we do atheist reading of the novel?

If we do atheist reading of this book then Sir Leigh Teabing emerges as protagonist because he is more clear in his motives that he wanted to revile secretes about Holy Grail and wanted to give relaxation to the humanity from the clutches of Christianity. Teabing wanted to reveal the truth to the common people so that he can destroy the fake faith of common people in Christianity. Whereas Langdon was on the journey just to accompany Sophie and because his name was written on the death place of Jacques Sauniere. But at last when Langdon come to know about the truth of the blood-line, he become one of secret keeper rather than reveler. So we can say that Langdon's journey is just pilgrimage. Though he was knowing the truth he become one of the member of secret keeper.

The Sense of an Ending: Julian Barnes

 1)     What is the meaning of phrase ‘Blood Money’ in Veronica’s reply email?

The phrase 'Blood Money' can have meanings like, relationship with Sarah caused Adrian's suicide. And her money is given to Tony. Their relationship damages young Adrian's life so it can be called Blood Money and Tony is cause of all damages so Veronica call his (given) money as 'Blood Money'.it also shows some relations like Sarah Ford  is responsible for Adrin's suicide so that’s why Veronica called Blood money.

2)     How do you decipher the equation: b = s – v x/+ a1 or a2 + v + a1 X s = b?

It is the equation Tony found it in the diary page of Adrian. Earlier in the novel Adrian use it to demonstrate chain of responsibility. I would decipher it as,

 >>b = s – v x/+ a1 or a2 + v + a1 X s = b.. Here  b = s – v x/+ a1 where b stands for baby and which is the result of Sarah and here included V as a Veronica because she leaves Adrian so then it comes multiplied and addition in addition in Adrian that is ‘a1’ and Sarah that is ‘s’’s relation, then comes baby. a2 + v + a1 X s = b? here a2 is stands for Anthony and V for Veronica and a1 stands for Adrian Finn and S for Sarah Ford and B for Baby so we can say that characters of the novel connected with baby.

 Adrian was able to meet Sarah only because he was boyfriend of Veronica, And it is Anthony/Tony who suggests Adrian to meet Sarah. Thus not only Adrian and Sarah are responsible for the retarded child, but it is collective action of all these characters which resulted in the birth of a child.

3)   What do you mean by Unreliable Narrator? Is Tony Webster classifiable as Unreliable Narrator?

This novel's narrative technique is very different and we can't rely  on this technique it is unreliable  Unreliable narrator is one whose narration cannot take as reliable or whose narration is not faithful to reality. Here Tony Webster classifiable as unreliable narrator because there are many point which suggest that Tony himself clarified that he aren’t reliable. 

For Example-

“I remember, in no particular order”

The whole novel based on the memory of Tony but he himself said that he wasn’t sure about his memory. Moreover, he said that the story of his is out of impression. 

Online Discussion : Post-truth: Word of the year 2016

Respected sir,

Post truth is an agenda which make truth as irrelevant in biased mind of mass. (Like baar baar bonle se jooth bhi sach lagne lagta hai). For example in recent election campaign of UP, BJP’s candidate Yogi Adityanath told people that SP distributes electricity supply on festivals with religious bias. While in figures declared by government on electricity distribution, fact was different. But common man never analyse realtruth under impact of political memorization.

How Literature Shaped Me?

In past, during years of my graduation, I felt Literature is boring and not useful to me.  I studied literature in those years only to accomplish my graduation. But when I got admission at department, my concept changed gradually and now near the completion of my PG, my feeling is that I have achieved something in my life. I feel positively changed. Here, I have to say something that no one can become successful in life without proper guidance and good mentor. We all PG guys are lucky in this sense. Inspire every (even weakest) student to find out his drawbacks and encourage him to learning something new is tradition here which is not possible everywhere. I will feel proud forever for these wonderful two years spent here.  

    

Literature played an important role in my educational learning. In my graduation phase, I had a difficult time understood that what literature was saying.  But after spending some times with literature, I felt improvisation in my critical thinking, writing and reading skills and enabled me to pay close attention to details. Literature helped me to become more open-minded.  It helps me understand the nature of society.

Historic literature helps me to understand what life was like in the past. Some literature poured emotion into me. Literatures regarding feminism and feminist writers provide me a new way of thinking, a different sight to watch the world. Poems taught me that there are timeless ways for me to express romantic, platonic, maternal and other forms of love. Literature about social injustice inspires anger and encourages action for change. Religious literature helps me to find and nurture faith. All literature I studied during my graduation and post graduation helps me expand my mind. Literature also affected me by offering a way to express myself through writing and reading. Studying literature develop greater empathy for and understanding of other people. Literature study prepared me to think in global (vast) prospect.

I studied Hamlet of William Shakespeare, which shows us reality of revenge, search for truth and meaning in uncertainty, the struggle with morality. I learned from Dr. Faustus that, knowledge can lead someone to be good or bad, depends on what knowledge he is acquiring. Adam and Eve blame each other for their disobedience in Paradise lost.  Reading of Gulliver’s Travels teaches me importance of morality and ethics and about different facets of lies and deceit, society and class, politics, war and human nature. Defoe ‘s Robinson Crusoe taught me self independence, hands-on approach to life, struggle for survival, how to cope frustration of the life, achieving mastery over the circumstances, overcoming obstacles, and at last becoming self-aware of our own self. By studying Aristotle’s Poetics, Essay on Dramatic Poesy by Dryden in which I read interesting arguments regarding ancient vs. Modern by two humble critics. Preface of great Wordsworth is worthless and how I forget Coleridge? The Fakeer of Jungheera introduce me abuse of Sati Pratha at that time.

 Inter racial Love. Conflicts between upper vs. Lower cast in 18^th century. In Raja Rao’s Kanthapura I find the problem of untouchably, poverty, sexual exploitation and caste- society. I also felt great influence of Gandhian principles at that time. The Purpose (play) shows us Dominance of upper cast power (Arjun/Drona), over a weak person from lower caste (Eklavya) – teach us that common people take more care of Animals of Jungle.

Earlier my concept on Romanticism may something like romance and love related content but after studying Romanticism in actual especially Frankenstein me proved wrong. Frankenstein shows us our struggle with inner and physical conflicts. He tells dangerous side of knowledge. Both Frankenstein and victor attempt to surge beyond human limits. But this knowledge is really dangerous. Infect the doctor is driven to death by his creature. And Walton too is trapped between sheets of ice. So he gave up his mission because he saw the unhappy end of his friend. We can feel dangers of excessive sensibility (too emotional) in Sense and Sensibility. In Oliver Twist of Charles Dickens we see the virtue of charity, love against evils of greed and corruption. Till date I don’t understand fully the novel Middle March. I learned something about literary criticism from Northrop Frye an archetypal critic. To the Lighthouse of Virginia Woolf tells us about what women can do and how search god and true meaning of life. My favourite play ‘Waiting for Godot’ by Samuel Becket taught me what theatre of absurd is. This play viewed as existentialist in its take of life. The characters of the play are constantly struggling to prove their existence. Just waiting and waiting. Robert Frost’s short stories really scared me. Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Mask shows racial discrimination still exists in the world in either form. White powers want to convert but not want to accept we cannot ignore this bitter truth. African Literature has great potential. By studying African literature of our curriculum one can know about the pain, strength, selflessness, culture, struggle of this continent. I also prepared one presentation on Achebe, Chinua’s Things Fall Apart. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown attacks on religion and damages happened to humanity trough religion. Arvind Adiga’s The White Tiger teaches about real and ugly look of our own society. X-ray image of real world.  Harry Potter and its series by J.K Rowling leads us into the world of imagination and fantasy beyond this real world.

            May it be incomplete to end my writing without quoting Chetan Bhagat, who tremendously influenced on Indian youth including me. I learn a lot from his novels and from his movies also. My presentation on ON@TCC was based on one of his famous novel. I watch him many times on a TV really a great personality we can learn humbleness, simplicity, modern style of writing, how to speak effectively etc from him.

When I was first time enter in the Department of English I gave first task on What Is Literature?. But that's time i am totally confused to what to write but Now when I am writing about How Literature Shaped me?. I can Write smoothly, Here is the Image of my Views on Literature which I write that time.

What is Literature?

According to me literature is cocktail form that tells a story, dramatizes a situation, and expresses emotions, analyses ideas. Which helps us grow personally and intellectually– Provides an objective base for knowledge and understanding– Shapes our goals and values by clarifying our own identities, both positively and negatively– In Robert Frost’s word: “Literature makes us human. We can define literature as language artistically used to achieve identifiable literary qualities and to convey meaningful messages. Literature is characterized by beauty of expression and form and by universality intellectual and emotional appeal.”

            Literature improves our language proficiency, it enriches our knowledge about a culture, it helps us to explore the nature of human beings and it gives us spiritual and psychological relief.

                Literature primarily gives pleasure and knowledge, we read literature for relaxation. Literature gives us an insight into the tradition, custom, belief, attitudes, folklore, values of the age in which it is written. Literature get us away to an imaginary world, thus forget our problems and obligations of everyday life.

            Literature is appealing mainly because of its relationship to human experience. It sheds light on the complexity and ambiguity of human experiences and thus broadens our awareness of the possibilities of the experience.

           

So, I can only said that, never under estimate the power of literature.